Politics
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Black Stacey vs. White Stacey: A Lesson in Race Politics From Ga.
“I don’t wanna vote for her just because she’s black, you know?” I hate it when I hear things like that. It drives me nuts to hear the contortions that black folks will go through to explain, rationalize and then justify creating their own political impotence. Yet there I was sitting at a small neighborhood…
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Interview: Progressive Randall Woodfin Wins Birmingham, Ala., Mayoral Race in a Major Upset
Progressive Democratic candidate Randall Woodfin, 36, became the youngest mayor-elect of Birmingham, Ala., in modern history Monday night after defeating two-term incumbent Mayor William Bell with a near 20-point margin of victory. He follows in the footsteps of Jackson, Miss., Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, another Southern progressive supported by national liberal organizations who won city…
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Trump May Try to Pardon His Friends Before Charges Are Filed Against Them; Special Counsel Has Secret Weapon to Help Prevent That
Special counsel Robert Mueller has a sneaking suspicion that Donald Trump may try to pull a fast one and pardon some of his cronies in his inner circle before criminal charges can be brought against them in the Russian election-interference investigation. So to circumvent that, Mueller is using a secret weapon to prevent those pardons…
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NYC’s Tough Gun Laws Stopped Me From Killing Myself
In the winter of 2013, I decided that I would purchase a gun and kill myself. I was in a very deep state of depression, with many days so debilitating that my mattress felt like a tub of quicksand pulling me deeper into a dark, bottomless free fall. That I could make it out of…
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The So-Called Christians Defending Sweet Potato Saddam Are Begging to Be Jumped by Jesus
Last weekend the president of the United States turned his sights away from a humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory ravaged by Hurricane Maria, to a subject more in line with his interests: black football players daring to exercise their right to peaceful protest. During the following weekend, that spoiled, queso-colored white supremacist…
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My Grandmother, Like Millions of Puerto Ricans, Deserves Better Than Donald Trump
I’ve always been convinced that my grandmother has a direct line to God. But on the evening of Sept. 5, I prayed she would be wrong about her most recent revelation. That evening, I gave my grandma in Puerto Rico a call. She could sense my anxiety through the phone as I asked her about…
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Marijuana-Decriminalization Ordinance Unanimously Passes in Atlanta City Council
The Atlanta City Council has taken a giant step in the name of marijuana reform. An ordinance that decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of marijuana was unanimously passed by the council Monday. WXIA-TV reports that after it passed in the council 15-0, the ordinance—which was proposed by Councilman and mayoral candidate Kwanza Hall—just needs…
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We Were 8 Years in Power Moves Ta-Nehisi Coates to Top of Black America’s Draft Board
On Jan. 21, 2004, Comedy Central’s groundbreaking Chappelle’s Show debuted the iconic “Racial Draft” sketch. In it, comedian Dave Chappelle imagined a draft in which each race selected and traded individuals to represent the race. The Asians drafted the Wu-Tang Clan, and Jews picked Lenny Kravitz. The concept quickly became an inside joke that still…